Season’s Greetings!

Best Wishes for a Happy & Prosperous New Year!

Thank You!

Your confidence in my ability to assess, manage, and speak to issues on your behalf is appreciated.

This has been a most eventful and stressful year. Following the tragic events of September 11th and beyond, every effort has been made to advise the public of ways to help victims and their families. We have sent our condolences and we have begun a review of our own emergency procedures. Fear can be paralyzing or it can focus our values and prompt us to action. For the economy and for our spirit - let's get on with it. The future is ours for the making.

Oak Ridges Moraine—Where’s the Protection??

The Oak Ridges Moraine in York Region affects approximately one third of the land mass in Richmond Hill. It is a huge environmental and economic issue. Since the Province is responsible for water quantity and quality and due to the vast size of the Oak Ridges Moraine, it was evident from the start that this was a Provincial matter. Now that the Province has taken on their rightful duty to protect and preserve this environment, I anticipated legislation - permanent legislation. Bill 122 "An Act to conserve the Oak Ridges Moraine by providing for the Oak Ridges Moraine Conservation Plan" was released Nov. 1st. Environmentalists, many politicians and lawyers are concerned that this legislation does not offer permanent protection. As it is written, this law allows for the conservation plan to be amended or REVOKED at any time by the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing. The Plan must be permanent and reflect its intent: to protect the Oak Ridges Moraine forever. Then, we can celebrate.

The Bayview Extension—Traffic Meets the Environment

The Bayview Extension has been approved. It will be intrusive to the surrounding environment but the impact of this road is to be mitigated with the building of a $1.5 Million bridge and a comprehensive environmental design respecting the surrounding forest and wetlands. There has been much concern that more housing will follow with lethal impact on the Jefferson Forest, Bond Lake, Lake Wilcox areas and that some wildlife will be eradicated. We need assurances that the building of a road does not guarantee more housing, that structures will be user friendly to all creatures, and that use of road salt will be applied with great caution to protect the soil, water and trees.

$$$ For Lake Wilcox Clean Up $$$

As an Executive Director of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, I am pleased to announce a grant of $50,000. to be matched by the Town for a hypolimnetic study of Lake Wilcox. With this grant, we can begin to remove phosphorous from the lake and begin to restore its health.

We’re Not Always Welcome

Did you know that even when the Town receives a development application on a property, we do not have the right to enter the property to review its environmental significance? The Town can ask the developer to provide environmental studies but we cannot physically assess the land without the owner’s permission. The Provincial Municipal Affairs and Housing Minister needs to allow access to any property by Town officials following the submission of a development application. We should not be spending taxpayer dollars at Ontario Municipal Board hearings when we have not even seen the property.

No Smoking Bylaw (or where there’s smoke… there’s fire!)

Any establishment may provide a smoking area which must be self-contained, vented to the outside, no larger than 25% of the existing floor space, approved by the Town, and prohibited to anyone under 19 years of age. It will cost money to construct but all smoking and non-smoking customers will be satisfied. For the minority who find the bylaw offensive, we hear you and the bylaw will be reviewed as planned in February of 2002. Stay tuned.

Solid Waste Management—Let’s Talk Garbage.

Residents of the Region currently generate about 190,000 tonnes of waste each year that cannot be processed in our blue box and/or yard waste programs. Once the Keele Valley Landfill, in Vaughan closes by late 2002, a minimum 50,000 tonnes per year of waste hauling and disposal will be shipped to Michigan but not without some resistance from some residents within the host community and various communities enroute. Currently, the Region is contracting for the haulage and disposal of the remaining waste with a view to promote the local economy, reduce costs to the taxpayer, and protect the environment.

Pesticide Use

Recently the Supreme Court of Canada ruled that Hudson, Quebec had the right to enact municipal bylaws to prohibit the use of pesticides on public and private lands. Although the legal emphasis was on the municipalities right to enact enforceable bylaws, this has set off a flurry of public interest in reducing if not eliminating pesticide use. To respond to public interest, the Region has established a Pesticide Task Force Working Group which expects to develop uniform Pesticide Reduction Guidelines by the spring of 2002 across York Region with the goal of eliminating the non-essential use of pesticides on public lands.

Count Your Blessings

The York Region Food Network was formed 15 years ago and works with all seven food banks in the Region. They serve people with limited means, homeless people, people with low incomes and people with few resources or social supports to afford basic needs. 35,000 people rely on food banks in York Region and that number is increasing by approximately 10% annually. Most disturbing is the data which shows that almost half of the food bank clients are children.

Affordable Rental Housing—why?

The current vacancy rate in rental housing in York Region is .7% but a rental market with a 3% vacancy rate is considered to be healthy. Rental housing is needed to provide affordable accommodation to our Senior population, young adults and young families. By 2026, it is estimated there will be 263,000 Seniors in the Region looking for smaller houses at affordable rates with security and good access to all public services.

Employers judge the community by the opportunities for housing, culture, recreation, education and health services. If we are to maintain a healthy, local economy with full services for our residents and a strong employment base, we must provide a balanced housing mix close to reliable public transit. Your dry cleaner, waiter, store clerk, sales person, and even your aging parents would like to stay in this area close to family, friends and work. In the past ten years the overall percentage of apartments built in York Region compared to all housing has remained constant at 13%.

Greater Toronto Services Board (GTSB) new mandate?

When created, the GTSB was expected to report on traffic management and public transit issues. Within one year, their mandate grew to include more planning issues across the Greater Toronto Area. Now, the Board is to be replaced by five "Smart Growth Councils" across the Province. It will be important to watch who is appointed by the Province to decide such vital issues as where roads, sewer, water pipes and development will go. My view is that the Province is within its legal right to do whatever it wants but there is also a democratic and ethical obligation to the public. These councils must be advisory only and not decision making bodies. They must fairly reflect the will of the people and not be solely the views of bureaucrats and developers. And, before finalizing any decisions, the affected municipality must have the opportunity to consult with their public.

That's the way I see it. Thank you for reading…

Brenda